Circular-knitting machine.



R. W. SCOTT.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MAGH|NE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 1913.

1,152,850. PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

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1,152,850. I Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

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R. W. SCOTT.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. a. I9I3.

1,152,850. Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

I2 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 1913.

1,152,850. Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

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CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3.1913.

' PatentedSept. 7, 1915.,

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. a, 1913.

\ 1,152,850. I PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

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CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

AP'PLICATION FILED FEB. 21. 1913.

1,152,850. PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

12 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

R. W. SCOTT.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. a. 1913.

1,152,850. TatentedSept. 7, 1915.

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CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. a, 1913.

1,152,850. Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

12 SHEETS-811F119.

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R. W. SCOTT.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 1913.

1,152,850- I PatentedSept.7,1915.

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R. W. "SCOTT. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3 1913-1,152,850. PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

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R. W. SCOTT.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FlLED FEB. a. 1913;

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

I2 SHEETS-SHEET 12.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT W. SCOTT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SCOTT & WILLIAMS,INCORPORATED, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters I'atent.

Patented Sept. 7, 191.).

Application filed February 3, 1913. Serial No. 746,070.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ROBERT \V. Soo'r'r, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inCircular- Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to circular knitting machines of theindependent needle type and, while it will be understood that thedevices shown and described are applicable without change to theoperation of many different types of needles, and to cooperation withmany different. types of needle carriers and other adjuncts of knownknitting machines, I have chosen to illustrate and describe-thatembodiment of it in which independently movable latch needles are theknitting instruments proper.

An object of my invention is to improve and simplify the existingmechanical arrangements for the operation of knitting needles.

A further object is to improve and simplify the devices for cooperatingwith the devices for operating the knitting needles, to cause theautomatic adjustment of said operating devices in an improved and moreefficient manner.

A further object .of my invention is to provide a mechanism forperforming the necessarily great number of changes and shifts of therelation of parts with respect to the knitting instruments during theproduction of a garment, for instance a stocking, which shall becompact, direct in its action, cheap and simple to construct. and whichwill provide for the addition of further automatiailly operated partswithout necessitating change in the standard parts shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of the lefthand side of a machine for knitting stockings. the tubular column, theinner tubular fabric guide, and the yarn guiding top being broken awayfor clearness; Fig. 2, is a front elevation broken away in part; Fig. 3is a right hand end elevation of the base of the machine showingparticularly the drive mechanism and the pattern chain holder; Fig. 4 isa rear elevation; Fig. *1 is a detail of one of the guiding combs; Fig.5 is a vertical section 011 the line 55 of Fig. 6; Fig. 6 is a hori-.

zontal section through the main and crank shafts on the line 66 of Fig.3; Fig. 7 is a bottom plan View partly in section of the cam cap foractuating the wcb-l'iolders; Fig. 7: 15 a perspective View of asin'iplen'icntal slnker cam for actuating certain high butt web-holders;Figs. 8 and 8 are elevations on an enlarged scale of high and low buttweb-holders respectively; Fig. 9 is a view in plan of the knitting headand a part of the machine frame or housing; Fig. 10 is a horizontalcross section of the head below the web-holder bed on the line 10-10 ofFig. 12; Fig. 11 is a detail vertical section through the mounting foroneof the narrowing pickers on a line 11-11 Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is avertical section through the knitting head, the kl'iitting cam ring andthe knitting head table or bed on the line 1212 of Fig. 9; Figs. 12 and12 are enlarged details of Fig. 12; Fig. 13 is a detail elevation viewedfrom the axis of the knitting head of the top of thethrust bars, showingthe yarn guides in elevation; Fig. 14.- isa detail side ele ation of thelatch ring bracket and the tops of the thrust bars, showing the latchring in its elevated inoperative position; Fig. 15 is a detail elevationviewed from the axis of the knitting head of the widening picker and itsbracket and cooperating devices; Fig. 16 is :1 diagram showing thenormal relation of long and short butt needles, high and low buttweb-holders and needle jacks; Fig. 17 is a development showing indiagram the various cams carried by the pattern drum; Fig. 18 is aperspective of the positioning cam for one of the narrowing pickers;Fig. 19 is a development of the interior of the knitting cam cylinder,showing one form of needle cam device adapted for use with the remainingdevices; Fig. 19 is a diagram developmentof the needle and web-holderpaths; Fig. 20 is a. section through the cam cylinder of Fig. 19 on theline 2020 of Fig. 19; Fig. 21 is a similar section on a line 2121 ofFig. 19; Fig. 22 is a Slll'lllfllfifll tion on the line 22-22 of Fig.19; Fig. 23 is a development ofa portion of a cam ring showing a simpleform of the knitting cams. suitable for usual products; Fig. 2+ is aplan of the yarn take-up and tension mech- I anism on an enlarged scale;Fig. 25 is a left hand side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 24;Fig. 26 1s a detall elevation of i 2 f j finuasto the cam 382 and itsmountin viewed toward the center of the nee le'. cylinder;

Fig. 27 is a detail elevation on an enlarged scale of the double-throwcam for operating the devices shown in Fig. 26; Fig. 28 isaview showingthe three different kinds ofneedles employed; Fig. 29 1s a detail per--spective view of the web-holder bed Show ing the attached cam for operatng the,s ectional splicing'devices; F 1g. 30 1s a'section on the line30-30 of Fig. 9 showing the latch ring and the brush wheel for openingthe needle latches at certain times;' Fig. 31 is a perspective showingthe construction of the pattern chain; Figs. 32Vand 33 are 'details ofthe sectional splicing mechan sm showing the relations of the yarngu1de, the thrust bar and cams for operating said bar in two differentpositions of the pattern drum; Fig. 34 is a view from the axis of tneknitting head showing the yarn guide throat; Fig. 35 is a" frontelevation of the internal yarn guide and clamp member showing the yarncutter.

It will be convenient to consider the devices in the following ordercorresponding to the main agencies of the machine I. The machine frame;the driving and pattern mechanism.

II. The knitting instruments proper 1ncluding the needles, the needleand cam cylinders, the web-holders, and theirsupporting and operatingmeans.

III. The pattern mechanism for predetermining the operation of thevarious parts, and its connections. 1

IV. The mechanism for narrowing and widening the knit tube. i

V. The particular devices for the operation of which the patternmechanism is especially adapted.

I The machine frame; the driving and pattern mechanism.

through a clutch-collar 33 splined at 34 onv I said shaft.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 6, the clutch collar may be thrown to the leftto engage an otherwise loose reciprocal gear 35 mounted on said shaft 32between the boss b on the left end frame B and the end of the key 34 onsaid shaft 32; or to the rightto engage a clutch face 37 on the innerend of a tubular sleeve 39 which turns freely in a long bushing 46 fastin a right frame B, and

which sleeve 39 carries a. fixed pinion 38 and a fi'xedpulley 42,-whichmay be attached is reduced at its right end to find a bearing withinsleeve 39, and may extend past the frame B, Fig. 6. Said bushing 46carries- .by a 'fixed'handcrank 45having adog 44 engaging the hub ofsaid pulley '42. Aloose pulley 43 is mounted on saidhub; Shaft .2

for rotation a sleeve having gear-teeth 49 integral with or fixed .to apulley 47, sai

gear-teeth meshing with a gear 65 fixed to cast with said shaft 55 is agear 60 carrying crank-pin 61 in a boss 62. Gear 60,

which may be mushroom-shaped, meshes with said pinion 38 on sleeve 39.Actuation.

.of pulley 42 drives clutchrface'37 through sleeve 39at the speed ofsaidpulley. Actuation of pulley 47 drives said clutch face .37 at the speeddetermined by the gear-train .49, 65 and 60, 38. The: ratio, for oneinstance only, between gears'49 and 65 may be as 1:3 and between gear 60and pinion 38 may be as 4:1, whereby the rate of mo tion ofclutch-facev37 when directly driven by pulley 42 is to the rate of saidclutchface when driven through pulley 47 as 3:4. The speed of themachine is therefore increased'when the pulley 47 is the driving pulley.Actuation of either pulley drives the gear 60 at a rate fixedlyrelatedto the rateof clutch-face 37, as determined by the ratio of gears 38 and60. By this means, the movements of crank pin 61' and of theneedle-cylinder 260 are definitelyrelated,

whenever clutch-collar 33 engages face 37.

- The same devices determine oscillation of the needle-cylinder at thedesired speed when clutch-collar 33 is in engagement with reciprocalgear 35. Crank pin 61 is'connected by pitman 70 and pin 71 with a sector75 meshing with gear 35,- and mounted on a sector-shaft 76 at the backof the machine below the main and crank shafts, as usual in the art, theradius of pins 71 and 61 being such as to determine a forward and'backmotion of. gears 35, 31 and 30 and the needle cylinder substantiallythrough one whole revolution in each direction. Drive .duringreciprocation is usually" through pulley 42, sleeve 39 and pinion 38,but'it is apparent that the reciprocal speed may be increased if desiredby driving through pulley 47.

Means for shifting the driving belt are described below. jv

The pattern meehanism.Beneath"shaft 32 in bearings in frames B, B, andpreferably oifset forward, as shown, to. enable access to parts carriedthereby, I mount a pattern cam shaft 80. Said shaft is driven by.

a rack wheel 81: fast'thereon having'irregu- The links of the chain 85are of a familiarlar teeth which may be engaged and advanced by the pawl82 carried by a pin 77 in a crank arm 78 formed integrally with thesector 75 as plainly shown in Fig. 5. The wheel 81 may not, however, beallowed to advance at all times, without performing too short a cycle inthe motions of the shaft 80, and to permit its intermittent movement thepawl 82 is prevented from entering any tooth of its ratchet orrack-wheel 81, or is selectively permitted to engage a short tooth onlyif a short tooth is the next tooth to be actuated, by means of apawl-controller 83. Said pawl-controller projects forward (see Fig. 5),atits left hand side in the plane of a sprocket wheel 84 and patternchain 85, described below, and is provided with an indicator or chainreading lug 83 and a finger grip 83 for manual movement of the pawlcontroller. The central portion extends as a sleeve surrounding the rod93 to a point in line with the space between the ratchet 81 and the drum90 at which point an integral attachment 83 of said pawl controllerextends downwardly between said ratchet and said drum, fitting in thespace between them, to prevent the accidental sliding movement of saidpawl controller. The upper face of said portion of the pawl controlleris curved to furnish a bearing surface for the toe 821 of the pawl 82,terminating in a sharp upward slope 83 which'is perforated forattachment to 'a spring 95 fast at the other end to a pin 98 extendingfrom the right end frame B.

Loose upon the shaft 80, a sprocket wheel 84 carries a pattern chain 85and a ratchet 86 integrally formed therewith, coacting with which toconstantly move it is a pawl 87 on an eccentric pin 88 held by thesector 75. To advance the pattern chain by short steps during recoveryof pawl 82, the pin 88 is nearly upon the dead center with respect tothe shaft 76 and the line ofthrust of the pawl, and the motion of thepawl 87 is, therefore, short as compared with the motion of the pawl 82.The pattern-chain controls the pawl controller 83, to determine thetimes at which the pawl 82 may engage the rack-wheel 81 and advance thecam shaft 80. To this end said pattern chain carries a series of patternlugs 851, 852, 853, etc., of three heights or dimensions, projectingfrom the left hand face of the open chain links, as viewed in Fig. 2.The highest lug 851 determines the maximum rocking movement of the pawlcontroller 83 and permits the pawl 82, the said toe 821 being Wideenough to straddle the rack-wheel 81 and portion 83 of the pawlcontroller 83 to enter upon the rack-wheel at the most withdrawn part ofits forward and back stroke, tol take into the longest tooth upon saidrack w ieel.

form having hooks 85 interlocking with opposite grooved ends 85 ofanother similar link, when the links are at an angle to each other, asshown in Fig. 31. To avoid carrying a long pattern chain on thecustomary tensioning sprockets, or the use of idling or multiplierdevices for the chain, I may provide immediately under the sprocketwheel 84 a chain-trough or holder 200 consisting of a metal spacer orframe 201 bent at right angles and screwed to the underside of themachine table Av at 202, and having sheet metal side plates 203 and 204of the form best shown in Fig. 3. The internal width of said holder 200is such as to permit the chain depending from the sprocket wheel 84 tomove freely between the parallel side plates 203 and 204 withoutcramping, but it is too short to allow the sidewise movement of one linkwith respect to another sufliciently to permit said links to becomedisengaged. V

As viewed in Fig. 2, the left hand side plate 204 is cut away at thevertical plane of the front of the table A, carried upwardly and bent tothe left, where it is screwed at 205 to the underside of said table A.This construction permits some vibration of the holder while insuringsuflicient rigidity to prevent. its breakage. The side plates 203,204may be attached to the spacer 201 by screws 206 as shown, but I find aconvenient construction follows from the electrical welding of said sideplates 203, 204, to said spacer 201 by spot-welding at in.- tervals of afew inches.

The internal shape of the chain holder is of great importance to itsproper operation. At a point sufliciently below the bed-plate A andsprocket 84 to conveniently permit the operator to grasp the chain 85 inher hand to move it forward, said holder presents a lip 207 formed by aforward bend of the spacer 201 and the local outward bending of theplates 203, 204 for the entrance of the chain, which may flow freelyunder gravity'to substantially the point indicated at 208, at whichpoint the spacer 201 slopes inwardly and downwardly on a curvesubstantially such as that shown. The eifectof this construction is topredetermine folds ofchain 85, as shown, lying toward the right of Fig.3, upon the previous accumulations of chain, until the straight downwardrun thereof is swung as a pendulum to the rear of the machine to adistance determined by its weight and stiffness. A new fold will thenbegin to be formed in the opposite direction, to allow for which Iprovide the forward bend or swell 209. Here, however, the slope of theinner bottom wall of the holder 200 is so sharp as soon to occasionanother fold toward the rear of the machine.

The accumulation of folds of the chain flows by gravity, aided by thevibration of the machine (which, however is not essential to the properperformance of functions of the holder 200) down the curved slope,without entanglement. The other end of the accumulation of the endlesschain may be withdrawn even more readily than with a sprocket and framearrangement. The chain has, however, been subjected at points to themaximum bending permitted by the construction of its links and hooks,and an occasional pair of links will not be straightened out on theupward run'of the chain by the mere gravity of the links. I thereforeprovide a tension device comprising the springs 212 mounted upon thespacer 201 and a block 213 on the face 204, to wipe and straighten thechain before it reaches its sprocket on its upward run. One spring 212is of less thickness than the chain to permit the passage of lugs 851,etc. The tension device 212 is also of aid in preventing overrunning ofthe ratchet 86. I provide in connection with the springs 212 a springplate 214 screwed to the spacer 201, and having a bent lower edge shownin Fig. 2 cooperating with the plate 204. to return any chain linkslaterally misplaced into proper engagement with each other.

I find in practice that an extremely long length of chain may be storedin the holder 200, its automatic entry and removal therefrom takingcomparatively less energy, and preserving the chain from dirt and lintin a manner superior to the commonly used sprocket-and-framearrangement, as well as providing a very compact device. One of theattachments of the shaft 80, and the ratchet 86, may be provided withfriction brakes, of a well-known type, such as those shown at 90 inFigs. 3 and 5, to prevent overthrow and backlash of the rack or ratchetwheels and their attachments. Mounted centrally upon said cam shaft 80is a cam drum 90, for determining the movements of the clutch collar 33.I have found it desirable for accuracy in shifting the clutch to rovidean improved connection between sai clutch collar, which is broadly anelement known in the art, and said cam drum, which also is not greatlydifferent from prior art structures. It will be seen that the activepart of the clutch consists of the tenon 331 (which may be a hardenedpin with beveled ends in said collar) taking into beveled depressionsrespectively in the gear 35 and the face 37 of the sleeve 39 carryingthe pinion 38. The pinion 38 is continuously moved forward, though attimes at different rates, while the pinion 35 constantly makesreciproccal movements. Owing to the relations of sector 75, pawl 82, andcam shaft 80, the active movement of said shaft 80 comes at a time whenthe reciprocal gear 35 is in full movement for that stroke of thereciprocation which is in the same direction as for rotary knitting. Theshift of the clutch collar 33 must therefore be made betweenclutch-faces both of which are in full motion at different rates, thatone at the pinion 38 moving substantially four times as fast as that ongear 35. Accuracy of timing of the movement of the clutch collar is thusabsolutely essential. There have been difficulties with the prior artstructures, which present a similar problem, with respect to timingthese operations, which difficulties I ascribe largely to the errors inthe movement caused by operating the clutch collar by connections formedas levers, which move in an arc, and which may vibrate, thus destroyingthe accurate effect of the cam surfaces, as of the drum 90, relied uponto quickly and certainly move the clutch collar. It is moreover apparentthat in a machine in which compactness is of the essence of merit, alever structure between shafts which should be near together is to beavoided. I have therefore provided for the connection from the cam drum90 to the clutch collar 33 a short, strong and rigid slide 92 mountedfor accurate movement parallel with the shafts and 32 on a fixed rod 93,fixedly mounted on the front face of the end frames B in perforated lugs6 The slide 92 is provided with a boss 88 having a cam follower therein,(which may be a hardened roll 89 rotating on a in in a bore in saidboss, and taking into t e cam track in the cam 90) and separateddepending perforated bosses 94 fitting upon said rod 93 and having asufficient freedom of movement between the lugs b to permit theoperative movement of the clutch. The slide 92 is arched in form betweenthe bosses 94, to provide a free space on the rod 93 upon which the pawlcontroller 83 is pivoted. The upper end of the slide 92 terminates inthe clutch fork 91 fitting in a peripheral groove in the clutch collar33, the curvature of the fork thus preventing rotative movement of theslide 92 on its rod 93.

It will be apparent that the slide 92 is effective to shift the clutch33 by a short and positive movement of the cam drum 90, which movementis rigidly parallel with the elements of the surface of the drum 90, andis an accurate function of the slopes of the cams on said drum. Theoutboard end of the rod 93 is extended beyond the lugb to form a slidebearing for a belt shipper fork 100, which is further guided upon a in101 held parallelwith the rod 93in a more in the frame B. The outboardend of the cam shaft 80 carries afcam 102 having a peripheral flange foracting upon the degending lug 103 of the belt shipper 100.

aid cam is provided with integral portions 104, 105, terminating inslopes to the level of the body of the cam 102, to move the belt shipperand shift the belt from one to the 43 to stop the machine. Thebeltshipper 100 and its attachments are under the influence of a spring110 attached at one end to said shipper and at the other end to themachine frame, tending to hold the lug 103 on the cam faces of the cam102. The latch 112 pivoted at 113 to the frame of the machine engages alug 114 on the belt shipper when it is in its extreme position and thebelt is on the loose pulley. A handle 115 is provided for moving thebelt shipper independently of its cam.

Referring to Figs. 1, 4, 5, and 6, the sector shaft 76 extends throughits bearing in the left end frame B to provide a stud upon which ahollow pattern drum 120 having an integral or attached gear 121 ismounted for rotation. The end of the pattern cam shaft 80 abovedescribed similarly extends beyond its bearing in the left end frame B,and is provided with a similar gear 122. The gears 122 each mesh with anidler gear 123 mounted upon'a stud 124 projecting from said left frameat an intermediate point. The motions of the shaft 80 are, therefore,transmittcd without change in direction or extent to the pattern drum120. It should be noted that the position of the pattern drum 120 bringsit to a point directly behind the cylindrical space defined by verticalsfrom the knitting head and under the shelf or table D, at a pointrelatively close to the knitting head. I am thus enabled to provide acomparatively large drum, having thereon the desired large number ofpattern indications necessary to an automatic machine, performing acomplicated cycle of operations, without taking up lateral or verticalspace which can ill be spared.

The pattern mechanism will be treated more in detail below. It willsufiice for the present to recall that the movements of the shaft 80 areintermittent movements through a variable angle of advance, and thatlugs provided on the pattern chain 85 in the path of the indicator lug83 of the pawl controller 83 (it being borne in mind that said pat ernchain is constantly advanced by its ratchet 86) cause rocking movementsof said pawl controller on rod 93 to determined the times at and extentsto which the pawlq82 may engage the rackwheel 81.

Assuming the lug 100 of the cam 102 to have engaged the lug 103 of thebelt shipper 100, and the machine to have been stopped, with the latch112 in engagement with the belt shipper, upon the release of said latchthe belt will move inward to pulley 47, engaging with pulley 42 andactuating it during its passage. The pulley 42 directly conconnection.At this time the clutch slide 92 is in position to the right, and theclutchcollar 33 is engaged with the face 37 and the gear 38. When thedriving belt under the influence of the spring 110 has reached thepulley 47, the machine will be driven through the gear train comprisingthe gears 49 and 65, the shaft 55, the gear 60, the pinion 38, face 37,the clutch collar 33, the drive shaft 32 and the bevel gears 30 and 31.The drive shaft 32 will therefore rotate in the samedirection at ahigher rate than if the belt were upon the pulley 42.

The movement of'the crank shaft 55 results in the actuation of thesector 75 and of the reciprocal pinion 35 whether the gear 60 is part ofthe driving train for the pinion 38 or whether the pinion 38 is thedriving element for said gear 60. It will be apparent that the rockingmovements of the sector 75, of the pawl 82 and the pawl 87, will berelated to the main drive shaft and therefore to the rotative motion ofthe knitting head, by a constant ratio determined by the relativediameters of the pinion 38 and the gear 60, whatever may be the absolutespeed at which the system is driven. At a later time in the operation ofthe machine the pattern chain 85 having advanced to cause one of itslugs to cause the forward movement of the shaft 80, the clutch slide 92is thrown to the position shown in the drawings. Just previous to themovement of the clutch slide the cam 104 will have acted upon the lug103 of the belt shipper 100 to shift the belt to the intermediate slowspeed directly connectedpulley 42. It will be evident that the pulley 42may thus become the driving element and the speed of the machine may bereduced to the extent determined by the gear ratios during such anextent of round and round knitting, or con stant forward movement of theshaft 32, as may be necessary. The drive of the machine has now beenshifted, by the movement of the clutch-collar 33, to reciprocalmovements derived through the crank pin 61, the gear 60, the pitman andthe segment 7 5. These movements are made at the rate of one completeforward and back stroke for eachrevolution of the gear 60. If the gearratios are as those above described (which may of course be varied),

gear 60 rotates once for each four. revolutions of the driving pulley42. 1am thus enabled, by utilizing gear 60 carrying the crank-pin of thei.'eciprocal-' motion train as a part of the speed-changing train forthe main shaft drive-pinion 38, (which train includes in crank-shaft 55a driven axis for said gear) to provide for a -wide shift be tween thespeeds of rotationhnd reciproca-' tion, to render the change in rotativespeed independent of the movements of the clutch, and to preserve intactthe ratio of the movements of the pattern-operating pawls to therotation-speed of the knitting head, whether the head is rotating athigh or low speed. I attain these objects by the described structurewith a substantial gain over existing structures in cost, in simplicityand in the dimensions occupied by the speed-changing and reciprocatingmechanism, resulting in part from the provision of the crank-shaft 55 asan element of both mechanisms.

1]. The knitting instruments proper.

The immediate instruments for knitting may comprise independentlymovable latch needles held in grooves on the surface of aneedle-cylinder or carrier capable of rotation and reciprocal movementswith respect to relatively fixed actuating cams for said needles andtheir adjuncts.

The bed-plate D projecting from the left hand side of they main frame orhousing, upon which it is rigidly fastened, provides a bearing for thebevel gear 30 above mentioned in a depending cell or pocket internallymachined to provide a face bearing surface 250 and a central bore tomaintain said gear 30 for rotation about a fixed axis, which is thatreferred to as the axis of the knitting head.

The central part of the gear 30 is cut away to provide a free openingthrough which the forming fabric descends, and is surmounted by theupwardly extending integral sleeve 251 upon which the needle cylinder260 is removably mounted. The cylinder 260 is held to rotate with thesleeve 201 by the key 252 sliding in a longitudinal keyway on the innerside of said cylinder 260. The cylinder 260 may thus be moved in avertical sense with respect to the gear 30 and the sleeve 251, withoutdisturbing its rotative adjustment with respect to said gear 30 or theother elements of the machine.

The cylinder 260 may be of any approved construction, but I prefer toemploy an insorted wall or built-up needle cylinder such as thatillustrated in the drawings, and shown and described in the applicationof Harry Swinglehurst, Serial Number 653,004,

filed October 5, 1911, patented March 3, 1914, No. 1,089,021, whichbriefly consists of a grooved casting having independently removableneedle guiding walls 261 inserted in the grooves and held in place by abeveled collar 249. I have, however. provided on the outer face of saidneedle cylinder, above the longitudinal grooves for the needlesdetermined by the inserted walls 261 an unusually wide groove 262 for agroup of three spring bands 263, and provided a counterbored or enlargedupper internal. end 243. Otherwise the needle cylinder 1s that of theprior art, and might be of any other type selected to meet the needs ofa fine-gage high-speed knitting machine. Concentric with the'bore 251 inthe bed-plate D, I provide an enlarged opening 253 to receive thehorizontal flange 270 of the stationary cam cylinder 271. The gear 30 isof a thickness to fill the cell within which it rotates, the stationaryflange 270 being relied upon to maintain its contact with the bearing250 upon which it rests. The cam cylinder 271 is retained in the recessby screws 254.

The above described elements comprising the gear 30, the sleeve 251, andthe cam cylinder 271 (which carries the knitting cams) are fixed in avertical sense. The needle cylinder 260 is vertically movable, to adjustthe length of the stitch and for other purposes, as well as free to beremovedupward upon merely lifting it out of the machine. To provide forsuch vertical movement the gear 30 is bored through, as at 255, Fig. 12,in three places, to receive supports 256, which may be hard steel pins,all of the same length. The bores 255 are in line with the bottom of theneedle cylinder, the collar 249 of which freely rests upon the ends ofsaid pins by gravity and by reason of the stress due to the cotiperationof needles frictionally held in their grooves with fixed cams whoseadvancing slopes are flatter than their retracting slopes, presently tobe described. The pins 256 in turn rest upon, and by reason of themotion of gear 30, rotate with respect to, a ring 257 which may be ahardened and polished steel ring, or be rovided with a suitableanti-friction sur ace, as by making it of bronze, which ring has ahearing within the inner machined face of a depending cylindrical flange259 of the bed-plate D. The ring 257 is vertically movable within saidflange 259 by the vertical movement of a hollow tubular column 280concentric with the knitting axis which fits within said flange 259 atits upper end and upon which the ring 259 rests. Automatic means formoving the column 280 will presently be described. The adjustment by thedescribed means of the vertical position of the knocking-over planedetermines the length of the stitch with accuracy.

The machine in the present case is equipped with independently movablelatch needles n of a well-known type, (which may be tcnsioned needles.laterally bent to cause friction in their grooves) and the plane belowwhich the yarn may not be carried is determined by the upper faces ofthe upper inwardly extending arms 291 of webholders 292 held in thegrooves of a radially grooved. bed or dial 295 rigidly mounted upon theextren'ie upper end of the. outer face of the needle cylinder. upon aflange 96 having deep longitlulinally milled grooves in line with theneedle grooves to provide spaces for the removal of the needles. Thegrooves of the web-holder bed or dial 295 stand midway between spacesoccupied by the needle grooves and the inboard ends of the web-holder292 are received and guided by a nosing 297 fast in theenla-rged orcounter-bored end 248 of the needle cylinder 260.

The construction of the web-holders 292, of the nosing 297, and theweb-holder bed 295, may be the same as that illustrated in the patent toGeorge D. Mayo, 726,178, April 21, 1903, with the exceptions above andpresently to be described. It should particularly be noted that, withrespect to the construction shown in said patent, the

nosing 297 occupies a relatively larger diameter with respect to thediameter defined by the backs of the needles, owing to the counterboringof the needle cylinder to receive it. I am thusenabled adequately toguide the inboard arms of the web-holders 292 without so muchobstructing the internal diameter of the knitting cylinder.

Fora purpose presently to be described some of the web-holders 292 areprovided with long butts 298 and some with short butts 29. For a purposealso presently to be described the upper surface of the inwardlyprojecting upper arms 291 of said web-holders is sloped upwardly at anangle as shown at 299. This angle begins at a point slightly in advanceof the web-holding hooks 290, which may be of the usual form, andperform the usual function.

By reason of the attachment of the webholder bed 295 and the nosing 297to the needle cylinder 260, the knocking-over plane defined by the up ersurface of the arms 291 of the web-hol ers (which is that plane abovementioned below which the yarn of the last knit course may not accompanythe needles) may be lifted or lowered to increase or decrease the stitchlength at all of the needles with respect to the bed D, the fixed camcylinder 270, and the knitting cams carried thereby, by the agency ofthe pins 256, the movable ring 257, the column 280, and automatic meanscooperating with said column. At a point directly-at the front of themachine the flange 270 of the cam cylinder 271 carries a rigid uprightpost 400. Mounted on a reduced portion 301 of the web-holder-bed bymeans of a depending flange 302, and hold-down clamps 318, a web-holdercam ring 300 is adjustably held against rotation with the'needlecylinder in either direction by stop screws 303 in lugs 304 straddlingthe post 400, and permitting a. sufficient lost motion to render theadjustments for opposite rotations independent of each other.

The underside of the web-holder cam ring (see Fig. 7 is provided with aconcentric groove 305 for the control of the butts 298,

29 of the web-holders 292, as usual. At a point opposite the lugs 30sand directly at the back of the machine as viewed in Fig. 2 said ring300 is provided with a ca m portion 306 held by a screw 307, which campresents two withdrawing inclines 308, 308, to give the web-holdingbooks 290 their outward radial movement at the knitting cams. Theincline 308 is displaced towardthefollowing stitch cam, in the directionfor rotary work, web-holders until after the passage of the needles downthe face of the top center cam 357. This construction is useful whenmaking a starting selvage as will presently appear, as described in andclaimed in my application Serial No. 766,401, filed May 8, 1913, whichapplication is a continuation in partof the present application.Adjust-.

able cams 309 pivoted at 310 on each side of the outthrow cam 306determine the inward throw of the web-holders 292. Said cams 309 arehoused in deep slots milled through the depending flange 302,whichflange is also cut away at 303 to providea discharge opening forbroken parts. Said web-holder cam ring 300 also carries means forcontrolling some of the web-holders for a local variation in the lengthof stitch, as described below.

The needle cams.The machineis equipped with a switch cam, and withstitch cams for giving the advancing and retracting movements to theneedles during rotary and reciprocatory knitting Referring now to Figs.9, 10. 11, 12, 16 and 19. I have herein illustrated one form of knittingcam mechanism comprising the cam cylinder or ring 271 which is a shortrigid cylindrical structure terminating at its upper end in a ledge 350upon which the butts of all of the knitting needles 1:- travel when theyhave finished their stitch-forming movement. Said ledge is at a levelinsufliciently high to carry the needles to a point at which thestitches engaged in the hooks 290 of the web-holders 292 will be clearedbelow the latches. At a point at the rear of the machine the cylinder271 is cut away at 351 for the reception of hardened cams togetherforming a broad V-shaped opening from which the slopes 353 lead inopposite directions to return to the ledge the butts of any needleswhich may be depressed into said opening.

to delay the withdrawal of the- Central of this opening at the back ofthe machine and fast in a vertical slot milled a.

part way through the thickness of the cylinder 271 is a verticalstandard upon which a bottom center (am 356 and a top center cam 357havmg their inner faces flush with the inner face of the cylinder 271 1are mounted by screws 358. The lower surface of the bottom centercam-356 is level with or higher than the stitch cams, and its uppersurface is level with the ledge 350 and only a suflicient passage forthe butts of the needles is provided between the cams 356 and 357. Cam357 is flat at the top and is provided with slopes 359 to guide needleslifted above the normal level. Surro'unding approximately that half ofthe cam cylinder 271 at the rear thereof, I provide a half-cylinder orsegment 370 having a base flange 371, to serve as a carriage for thestitch cams 360 and 361. When knitting operations are being performedsaid segment is in the position shown in Fig. 10, fitting closely uponthe periphery of cylinder 271, and resting at its base 371 upon theupper face of the flange 270 of the cam cylinder 271. Said segment isheld to move radially outward on the plane central between the stitchcams 360 and 361 by means of a gib or key 372 on the/underside of flange371 taking into a radial slot 373 formed in the flange 270, and under alug 402 of a post or bracket 401, and is further guided by slots 375,formed in the ends of the flange 371 and parallel with saidkey 372.Hold-down screws 376 aid in retaining said segment upon said flange 270.I thus provide a rigid but readily movable support for the stitch cams,to accurately hold them in their vertically fixed position. Movement ofthe segment away from the needle cylinder may be manually eflect'ed bythe lever 377 pivoted at 378 on the cam cylinder, against the stress ofa spring 379 held at its ends by shallow bores in the segment and saidlug 402. The cams 360, 361 are of suflicient thickness to reach from theinner face of the segment 370 to an internal diameter flush with that ofthe cylinder 271. Said cams 360, 361 are respectively provided withupper slopes 362, curved in form, to clear the loops below the latchesof such needles as travel upon ledge 350. The advancing surfaces 362 and353 are of a slope materially flatter than the retracting surfaces atcams 357 and 360 or 361. Said cams 360, 361 are further recessed attheir tops at 363 to provide resting points for the narrowing pickerspresently to be described. These resting points hold the pickers toreceive a needle at a height at which the needle has finished its upwardrise to clear its loop below its latch.

I have illustrated my machine in connection with additional needlcontrolling deto the usualknittingfunctions asifully de-v scribedin andclaimedinimy said application- Serial No. 766,401, I may provide in thelower part of the cam cylinder 271 and completeky surroundingsaidcylinder a groove 365 as shown in Figs. 19 to 22. At a point well inadvance of the leading stitch cam 361 for rotary knitting, an A shapedopening is formed in said cy inder 271. beneath which an advancing jackcam 366 is fastened.

Cotiperating with the cam 366 a series of needle jacks 380 having butts381 may be provided for the above or other purposes. Usually a jack 380is provided for every alternate needle, but it will be evident that theymay be distributed at will. Saidjacks are free in the needle grooves.and are held from being thrown centrifugally outward by contact of theirshanks with the inner face of the cylinder 271 and of the cams 366, 367,368, etc. The height of the cam 366 and the length of the jackscotiperating therewith are such as to advance such needles n as areprovided with jacks at a point well in advance of the leading stitch camsufliciently upward to clear their stitches, as clearly indicated inFig. 19. I may thus utilize said jacks for the performance of specialoperations calling for the separation of the needles into an idle andoperative set intercalated among each other, and to this end provide asupplemental cam such as radially movable cam 382 preceding the forwardend of the leading stitch cam 361, at a level to bring'its leading endbetween the needles n advanced by the jacks and the needles'withoutjacks moving upon the ledge 350. Needles affected by said cam are canried beneath the said stitch cam 361 and" beneath the bottom center cam356, on a level too low to engage the yarn fed to the remainder of theneedles for the said purposes. The machine is provided with a switch camfor elevating some of the needles for making heels and toes.

At a point in advance of the jack cam 366 on a radial spindle 410 heldin the bearing block 411 on the cam cylinder flange 270, which block hasa cam slot 412 cotiperating with a screw 413 on said spindle, I may forinstance provide a switch cam 415 for the usual purpose of throwing theinstep needles having longer butts into and out of action. Said cam,when in the elevated position shown in Fig. 19 will engage needle buttsencountering it to move them to substantially the level of the crest ofthe stitch cams. The cam slope of the cam slot 412 (which has a portionperpendicular to the spindle as shown in Fig. 9) moves the saidspindle410 axially when said spindle is rotated, to lower the point ofthe cam 415, to withdraw :the point and face of the cam sharply duringthe first half of the lowering movement, and then to hold said spindlewithdrawn'so as to cause said switch cam to the inner periphery of

